A NEW YEAR, A NEW DAY
A NEW BEGINNING, A NEW WAY
Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
Who brings forth the chariot and the horse,
The army and the power
(They shall lie down together, they shall not rise;
They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
The beast of the field will honour Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
This people I have formed for Myself,
They shall declare My praise. Isaiah 43:16-21 NKJV
As of writing, the first two weeks of 2018 have come and gone, with Christmas 2017 just a memory. As is the case every year, many have made New Year's resolutions, with some of those already being discarded and dispatched to either the too-hard basket, or the "Whatever!" realm of non-resolve. I was encouraged by a lady at church a couple of weeks ago, on New Year's Eve to not make resolutions, but to make plans. Another way of thinking of this is to set achievable goals - which, I thought was a word in season for me.
Like all of us, I have had "good intentions" in the past concerning things in my world that I know need to change. Someone has said: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. One of those things is probably near the top of the list of resolutions at this time of the year for many people - to lose weight. I am determined that this year, 2018 is going to be the year when this goal is fulfilled with significant benefit to my health and well-being. I thank God that my GP has encouraged me to set achievable goals to see this become a reality this year, and is keen to monitor my progress.
Thank God, literally, that every day can be a new day with new opportunities to grow closer to Jesus, to break off and shake off the shackles of the past, and to begin to walk in new freedom and purpose. The Lord's ways for all His people are always onwards and upwards.
The past, with its highs and lows, victories and defeats, seasons of growth, and those of stagnation - is gone, and gone forever. Today is a new day! This year is a new year. With the Lord's help, Tessa and I are aiming to make this the best year of our lives - so far! Our senior pastor had a prophetic word for me last April in which the Lord was basically telling me not to get stuck in the past, but that I should look straight to Him for what He has for me and our family now in this new season - which would be stronger and more powerful than the disappointments of the past.
I believe the Lord is calling my wife and I to a new level of trust in Him this year, but with a greater sense of expectancy for what He is going to do in and through us to bring greater glory to His name. The same sense that we believe God is saying this to us, is the sense that we believe He is speaking to all who would truly want to follow Him in the journey of life!
In the early chapters of the book of Joshua, after forty years of wilderness wandering because of their disobedience - under the leadership of Moses, Joshua, took up the mantle of Moses to lead the children of Israel over the Jordan River into the land of Caanan, the Promise Land. Joshua, who had been known as the servant of Moses, now became the servant of the Lord to lead the people forth into their land of promise.
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
"Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.'"
So it was, after three days, the officers went through the camp;
and they commanded the people,saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.
"Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before." Joshua 1:10,11; 3:2-4 NKJV
In essence, the children of Israel were told to POSITION THEMSELVES so that the Lord could lead them in a new way! He is saying the same to each of us who would follow Him into this new year. There is much land spiritually to be taken for the Kingdom of God, as we position ourselves to be led forth as an army with banners proclaiming JESUS IS LORD, and the Word of God is the unchanging Truth which must not be allowed to be compromised in the name of Political Correctness!
A NEW YEAR, A NEW DAY, A NEW BEGINNING, A NEW WAY!
Keep your eyes on the prize! Look to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith. Hebrews 12:1,2
This year, we are blazing a trail for Jesus. Where I have allowed compromise in my life, I am saying NO MORE! Compromise is the language of the devil!
And a path through the mighty waters,
Who brings forth the chariot and the horse,
The army and the power
(They shall lie down together, they shall not rise;
They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
The beast of the field will honour Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
This people I have formed for Myself,
They shall declare My praise. Isaiah 43:16-21 NKJV
As of writing, the first two weeks of 2018 have come and gone, with Christmas 2017 just a memory. As is the case every year, many have made New Year's resolutions, with some of those already being discarded and dispatched to either the too-hard basket, or the "Whatever!" realm of non-resolve. I was encouraged by a lady at church a couple of weeks ago, on New Year's Eve to not make resolutions, but to make plans. Another way of thinking of this is to set achievable goals - which, I thought was a word in season for me.
Like all of us, I have had "good intentions" in the past concerning things in my world that I know need to change. Someone has said: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. One of those things is probably near the top of the list of resolutions at this time of the year for many people - to lose weight. I am determined that this year, 2018 is going to be the year when this goal is fulfilled with significant benefit to my health and well-being. I thank God that my GP has encouraged me to set achievable goals to see this become a reality this year, and is keen to monitor my progress.
Thank God, literally, that every day can be a new day with new opportunities to grow closer to Jesus, to break off and shake off the shackles of the past, and to begin to walk in new freedom and purpose. The Lord's ways for all His people are always onwards and upwards.
The past, with its highs and lows, victories and defeats, seasons of growth, and those of stagnation - is gone, and gone forever. Today is a new day! This year is a new year. With the Lord's help, Tessa and I are aiming to make this the best year of our lives - so far! Our senior pastor had a prophetic word for me last April in which the Lord was basically telling me not to get stuck in the past, but that I should look straight to Him for what He has for me and our family now in this new season - which would be stronger and more powerful than the disappointments of the past.
I believe the Lord is calling my wife and I to a new level of trust in Him this year, but with a greater sense of expectancy for what He is going to do in and through us to bring greater glory to His name. The same sense that we believe God is saying this to us, is the sense that we believe He is speaking to all who would truly want to follow Him in the journey of life!
In the early chapters of the book of Joshua, after forty years of wilderness wandering because of their disobedience - under the leadership of Moses, Joshua, took up the mantle of Moses to lead the children of Israel over the Jordan River into the land of Caanan, the Promise Land. Joshua, who had been known as the servant of Moses, now became the servant of the Lord to lead the people forth into their land of promise.
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
"Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.'"
So it was, after three days, the officers went through the camp;
and they commanded the people,saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.
"Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before." Joshua 1:10,11; 3:2-4 NKJV
In essence, the children of Israel were told to POSITION THEMSELVES so that the Lord could lead them in a new way! He is saying the same to each of us who would follow Him into this new year. There is much land spiritually to be taken for the Kingdom of God, as we position ourselves to be led forth as an army with banners proclaiming JESUS IS LORD, and the Word of God is the unchanging Truth which must not be allowed to be compromised in the name of Political Correctness!
A NEW YEAR, A NEW DAY, A NEW BEGINNING, A NEW WAY!
Keep your eyes on the prize! Look to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith. Hebrews 12:1,2
This year, we are blazing a trail for Jesus. Where I have allowed compromise in my life, I am saying NO MORE! Compromise is the language of the devil!
